General cargo ship Thorco Crown disabled after fire in Cabot Strait

The general cargo ship Thorco Crown caught fire in engine room on 32 nautical miles off Port aux Basques, southwest Newfoundland, Canada. The vessel was en route from Argentina to Montreal, transiting Cabot Strait in western direction, when one of the aggregates started smoking after overheating. The crew reacted immediately, emergency stopped the engine and activated the CO2 firefighting system. The fire was extinguished without causing significant damages, but the general cargo vessel Thorco Crown lost propulsion power and remained adrift in Cabot Strait. The accident was reported to the local authorities and Canadian Coast Guard, which dispatched towing ship Sir William Alexander to assist the troubled vessel.

The general cargo ship Thorco Crown was taken under tow to Canada. During the accident there were no injured people and no reported environment pollution. However, the Coast Guard Environmental Response team is monitoring the condition of the ship. The local authorities ordered special survey and inspection after repairs are completed.

The general cargo ship Thorco Crown (IMO: 9290074) has overall length of 145.00 m, moulded beam of 18.00 m and maximum draft of 4.80 m. The deadweight of the vessel is 10,500 DWT and the gross tonnage is 7,767 GRT. The vessel was built in 2004 by Damen Yichang Shipyard in China. The owner and operator of the general cargo ship is Denmark’s company Thorco Shipping.